JACKSON: Democrat Scott Colom has won the Mississippi Senate race against Republican incumbent Cindy Hyde-Smith, the Associated Press projected Wednesday, becoming the state’s first Black senator since Reconstruction.
Hyde-Smith conceded after more than a week of counting following the November 3 election. Colom, a 43-year-old district attorney, overturned Republican control of a seat his opponent had held since 2018.
A Wednesday tally published by local broadcaster WLOX put Colom at 473,336 votes, or 49.2%, against Hyde-Smith’s 468,667 votes, or 48.7%. Independent candidate Ty Pinkins received 20,234 votes. Those figures gave Colom a 4,669-vote lead.
Late-counted ballots strengthened his position after an exceptionally narrow lead on election night. County officials continued reviewing outstanding ballots before submitting their certified results.
In a video posted on X, Hyde-Smith accepted the outcome and congratulated her opponent. “I respect the decision of Mississippi voters,” she said.
Addressing supporters in Jackson, Colom credited the state’s tradition of Black activism and religious faith. He invoked Hiram Revels, the Mississippi minister who became the first African American to serve in the US Senate in 1870.
Mississippi subsequently sent Blanche K. Bruce to the chamber. According to Senate historical records, his term ended in 1881.
Colom’s victory also ends a long gap in Democratic representation. Mississippi last elected a Democrat to the Senate in 1982, and its last Democratic senator, John Stennis, left office in January 1989.
Nationally, the result gives the Democratic caucus at least 55 seats in the next Senate, with Alaska still unresolved. Democrats have flipped eight Republican-held Senate seats, including breakthroughs in Texas, Kansas and South Carolina.
The party has also secured a projected House majority, giving it control of both congressional chambers for the final two years of President Donald Trump’s term.
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That control allows Democrats to set committee agendas and conduct congressional investigations. A Senate majority also gives them greater influence over legislation and presidential nominations.
Mississippi’s secretary of state has set Friday as the deadline for counties to submit certified election results.
(With additional input from Roll Call.)
